Bellissima (film)

Bellissima
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Luchino Visconti
Written by	Cesare Zavattini Suso Cecchi d'Amico Francesco Rosi Luchino Visconti
Starring	Anna Magnani Walter Chiari Tina Apicella Gastone Renzelli Tecla Scarano Arturo Bragaglia Alessandro Blasetti
Cinematography	Piero Portalupi
Edited by	Mario Serandrei
Music by	Franco Mannino, inspired by Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore
Release date	27 December 1951
Running time	115 minutes {release version}
Country	Italy
Language	Italian

Bellissima (1951) is an Italian neorealism film by Italian director Luchino Visconti. The film, which is a satire of the film industry, was shot at the Cinecittà studios. Alessandro Blasetti, a contemporary film director, appears as himself. Bellissima is the only feature film in Visconti's oeuvre with a predominantly comic tone.

Plot

Bellissima centers on a working-class mother in Rome, Maddalena (Anna Magnani), who drags her young daughter (Tina Apicella) to Cinecittà to attend an audition for a new film by Alessandro Blasetti. Maddalena is a stage mother who loves movies and whose efforts to promote her daughter grow increasingly frenzied.

Cast

• Anna Magnani - Maddalena Cecconi
• Walter Chiari - Alberto Annovazzi
• Tina Apicella - Maria Cecconi
• Gastone Renzelli - Spartaco Cecconi
• Tecla Scarano - Tilde Spernanzoni
• Lola Braccini - the photographer's wife
• Arturo Bragaglia - the photographer
• Nora Ricci - the laundry girl
• Vittorina Benvenuti
• Linda Sini - Mimmetta
• Teresa Battaggi - a mother
• Gisella Monaldi - a concierge
• Amalia Pellegrini
• Corrado Mantoni - radio announcer

Awards

• Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Nastro d'Argento
  • Winner: Best Actress (Migliore Attrice)- Anna Magnani

External links

• Bellissima at IMDb
• Pauline Kael's review
• DVDbeaver review